5: Ruthless rejection, first time the engine stalled

The last three words were spoken very softly, carrying a sense of desperate resolve.

Gu Pingsheng smiled.

He extended a finger and tilted up Liu Ruyan's chin.

He looked at this face that was once high and mighty, but now humble as dust.

"Anything is fine?"

He asked back.

Liu Ruyan nodded desperately, her eyes full of hope.

"Yes! Anything! I'm the Department Belle... I'm still pure..."

"Shh."

Gu Pingsheng raised a finger, interrupting her.

His finger slid down from her chin and stopped at her collarbone.

Cold.

Without a trace of warmth.

"Liu Ruyan."

Gu Pingsheng called her name.

His voice was calm, yet it carried a chilling coldness.

"Do you think you're worth this price?"

The air froze.

The smile on Liu Ruyan's face stiffened.

It was an expression mixed with shock, shame, and disbelief, like a meticulously dressed peacock that was about to spread its feathers only to be kicked into a mud pit.

"Wh... what did you say?"

Her voice was trembling, whether from the cold or from anger.

Gu Pingsheng swirled the red wine glass in his hand; the crimson liquid clung to the walls like blood.

"I said, you're not worth it."

He repeated it, his tone as flat as if stating an objective fact.

"On this spaceship, there are only two kinds of people."

"One is the valuable kind, like Lin Qinghan; she can fight, kill monsters, and keep watch."

"The other is the worthless kind, like you are now."

Gu Pingsheng took a step forward, staring intently into Liu Ruyan's eyes.

The pressure made Liu Ruyan subconsciously take a step back, her back hitting the cold metal wall.

"Want to move in? Want to eat steak? Want to drink red wine?"

"You can."

"Exchange them for Merit Points, for Crystal Cores, or for Blueprints."

"As for your body..."

Gu Pingsheng gave a light chuckle, one without any warmth.

"In the apocalypse, the least valuable thing is this skin of yours."

After saying that.

"Bang!"

The hatch door slammed shut.

That loud bang was like a slap across Liu Ruyan's face.

The corridor was deathly silent.

Everyone heard it.

The girls who had originally held a spectator's mindset, or were even a bit jealous that Liu Ruyan could "sacrifice" herself, were now all as quiet as cicadas in winter.

Too ruthless.

Too heartless.

He didn't give her any face at all.

"Gu Pingsheng! You bastard!"

Liu Ruyan finally snapped out of it and screamed hysterically at the closed door.

She kicked the door hard, but it only made her toes throb with pain, and tears instantly fell.

"Who do you think you are! You just got lucky and awakened a talent! What's so great about that!"

She turned around grumbling, only to be met by the complex gazes of those around her.

There was sympathy, mockery, and also schadenfreude.

"What are you looking at! Haven't you seen a beauty get angry before!"

Liu Ruyan glared back, wrapped her thin nightgown tightly around her, and fled back to her corner in embarrassment... The night deepened.

The lights inside the spaceship dimmed, leaving only a few emergency lights emitting a faint blue glow.

In the common area, girls huddled together in groups of two or three for warmth.

Although the spaceship had a constant temperature system after the upgrade, preventing them from freezing to death, the chill that permeated their bones could not be dispelled.

It was the fear of the unknown.

"The engine will be cut at seven tomorrow morning..."

Su Ruan hugged her rabbit plushie, her voice as quiet as a mosquito's hum.

"The system said we have to leave the ship to explore... will there be monsters outside?"

No one answered.

Because no one knew the answer.

"Whether there are monsters or not, we have to go down."

Lin Qinghan sat cross-legged on the ground, wiping her ice sword.

That sword was her Natal Weapon; it was crystal clear and radiated a chilling frost.

"The spaceship's energy is only enough to maintain basic life support. If we want to continue sailing or upgrade, we must go outside to find resources."

She looked up, her gaze sweeping across the crowd.

"I suggest that everyone acts in groups tomorrow. Those who have awakened combat talents will be responsible for clearing the path, and the others will be responsible for gathering supplies."

"Why should we listen to you?"

Liu Ruyan was still fuming and couldn't help but snap back.

"Because I can kill, and you can only scream."

Lin Qinghan replied coldly.

Liu Ruyan was choked up, her face turning red, but she didn't dare to argue further.

She might be stupid, but she knew Lin Qinghan was not to be trifled with.

"Alright, alright, that's enough from both of you."

Zhao Min stepped in to mediate.

"Qinghan is right; unity is strength. We're all in the same boat now."

She glanced at the tightly closed door of the Captain's Quarters.

A melodious violin tune faintly drifted from inside.

It was Gu Pingsheng listening to music.

That elegant and composed melody was completely out of place with the oppressive and panicked atmosphere outside.

"Is he... not coming with us?"

Someone asked in a low voice.

"He's the Captain, a big shot."

Zhao Min gave a bitter smile.

"Big shots have their own way of playing. Let's just worry about ourselves first."

That night.

No one could sleep.

Listening to the faint music, everyone stayed awake until dawn... [Warning! Warning!]

[spaceship about to cut engines!]

[Current docking point: Abandoned Mining Station (No. E-774)]

[Danger Level: ★☆ (One and a half stars)]

[All players please disembark to explore within 2 minutes! Otherwise, you will be obliterated by the system!]

The piercing alarm shattered the morning silence.

Everyone jumped up like springs.

"Quick! Grab your things!"

"Where's my stick? Has anyone seen my stick?"

"Don't push! Stop pushing!"

The scene was chaotic for a while.

The girls scrambled to grab anything useful—dismantled metal pipes, rusty wrenches, and some even used combs as weapons.

Just then.

"Click."

The door to the Captain's Quarters opened.

Everyone's movements froze for a moment as their gazes shifted in unison.

Then.

They were stunned.

Completely stunned.

The Gu Pingsheng who walked out seemed like a different person.

He was wearing a set of black tight-fitting combat gear; the streamlined design perfectly fit his muscle lines, and a faint glimmer flowed over the surface.

[Nano-Combat Suit (Purple · Epic)]

[Description: Woven from high-tech nanomaterials. Bulletproof, stab-proof, fireproof, and corrosion-resistant. Comes with a miniature force field shield that can withstand one fatal blow.]

At his waist hung a silver pistol. The gun's body was rugged and domineering, with an intimidatingly large muzzle.

[Infinite Ammo · Desert Eagle (Purple · Epic)]

[Description: A killing machine modified by the Hand of God. No reload required, infinite firepower. Every bullet carries an explosive effect.]

On his back was a tactical backpack, and in his hand, he carried a pitch-black long saber.

[Alloy Ship-Slicing Saber (Blue · Excellent)]

[Description: Cuts through iron like butter. One strike can even slice through spaceship armor.]

Handsome.

So handsome.

That hard-core aesthetic of being armed to the teeth, and the aura of a powerhouse radiating from his bones, left all the girls present in a daze.

Looking at the scrap metal in their own hands... a strong sense of inferiority and shame welled up.

Is this the gap?

Is this the Gu Pingsheng who used to be obscure in class?

Liu Ruyan's mouth hung open, her eyes full of shock and regret.

If... if she had persisted a bit more last night... if she could have clung to this "thigh"... unfortunately, there were no "ifs".

Gu Pingsheng looked straight ahead.

He didn't even give these girls a single glance.

He walked straight to the hatch and pressed the open button.

"Pshhh—"

The sound of air pressure being released rang out.

The heavy alloy hatch doors slowly slid open to both sides.

An aura of decay, moisture, and the smell of sulfur instantly hit them.

Outside was pitch black.

Only the spaceship's searchlight cast a beam of pale light, illuminating a small area ahead.

It was a massive, abandoned mining platform.

Rusty mechanical remains were everywhere, and broken tracks hung in mid-air like dead giant pythons.

And in the depths of that darkness.

A bone-chilling roar could be heard faintly.

"Roar—"

It was the roar of a beast.

And the call of death.

The girls turned pale with fear and instinctively shrank back.

"Is... is this the place we're supposed to explore?"

"I'm not going! I'm not going! There are monsters there!"

"Waaah... I want to go home..."

Gu Pingsheng ignored the crying behind him.

He reached up to adjust his Tactical Glasses, a cold arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

"If you're afraid of dying, then get lost and go back to wait for death."

Leaving those words behind.

He stepped out of the hatch.

His black combat boots stepped onto the rusty metal floor, making a crisp "clang."

In this deathly silent ruin, it sounded exceptionally piercing.

Without looking back, he walked into that endless darkness.

His back was resolute, like an unsheathed blade, ruthlessly piercing through the suffocating fear.